Changeling: Huntress, #2

By Stephanie Flint

When the clock strikes midnight, will the huntress become the hunted?

With President Koenigin stuck in the form of a changeling miner, Koenigin Corp is in disarray.

A new president has stepped into power, and he's asked Verdi to trade her role of huntress for that of an ambassador to the Society for Natural Progression.

At first, Verdi is eager to accept. Being an ambassador means she'll finally have her voice heard. Better yet, she'll be able to spend more time with Maria Snow, the woman she loves.

But participating in social "balls" isn't a job she trained for, and certain members of Koenigin Corp are determined to get revenge on those who pushed Koenigin out of power.

When Verdi is framed for murder and placed on house arrest, will she find a way to get to the ball and warn Maria of the rising threat?

Or will she, too, find herself trapped in a changeling body?

Step into her shoes in this Cinderella retelling... and read Changeling to find out what happens!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Infinitas Publishing
• Release date: Apr 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9798201405526

Stephanie Flint

Stephanie Flint (formerly Stephanie Bibb) graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in photography and a minor in creative writing. She merged the two interests into book cover design and photographic illustration, but she particularly enjoys writing speculative fiction. Stephanie lives with her husband, Isaac. Together they plot stories in the form of tabletop role-play games, and they enjoy the occasional cosplay. Online, Stephanie often goes by the nickname of SBibb.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

I’ve never been to this part of the building, but I’m thankful Mr. Saito hasn’t moved into my dear president’s office. Granted, it has only been a few hours since her body was destroyed and the remains of her mind implanted into a changeling, but at least he didn’t go straight upstairs.

Maria walks beside me, confidence in her stride. The unmarred side of her face is blank, her blue eye staring straight ahead as her ruby red lips purse in a tight grimace. I can only imagine what she must be thinking. Waking up in a new place... my surprise kiss...

I’m still not sure I should have kissed her. But she kissed me back. Was it a gesture of thanks for saving her, or because she actually likes me?

Hopefully the latter, because I’m terrible at keeping her safe.

Either way, we’re in this together.

A new president, a corporation in chaos, and a favored candidate for the Society of Natural Progression striding hand in hand with a huntress for their rival corporation.

I take a deep breath. How did this all happen? It seems like such a blur.

Since I was out for the majority of the fight, Mr. Saito is the best one to explain everything to Maria. Mr. Saito, who took my dear president’s place—

My chest constricts into a knotted, tangled ball of confusion. My dear president betrayed me and everything she stood for. Her ugliness was made real in the form of her new changeling body, but that’s not her. That’s not my president.

That’s... something else.

Verdi? Maria’s soft voice cuts through the silence. She glances at me, her head tilted ever so slightly in concern. The angle is enough to show the pink, twisted scar crawling across her left cheek. The whiteness of her burned eye. The too-smooth, drooping eyelid.

A lump forms in my throat.

I did this to her. I scarred her.

For my president.

All in vain.

I drop my gaze to the plush floor as it sinks beneath each footstep. It’s nothing, I murmur.

It’s never nothing, Maria protests calmly, but she looks ahead to the dimmed corridor. The time is five in the morning, and the lights are gradually rising to match the sunlight outside—or what would be outside, if not for the smog.

I suppose not, I agree, but I can’t bring myself to say anything else. My president is dead, and I helped kill her.

A few more long, silent strides, and we arrive at our destination. I motion to a plain door ahead of me, which is styled to look like mahogany wood with strips of gold down the seams. This is his office. I knock. We wait only a moment before the door splits in two as it slides open.

Mr. Saito’s office is roomier than I expect. A screen on the far wall plays recordings of a sunrise over a snowy pine forest. His work station is opposite, comprised of a sleek wooden desk surprisingly clear of clutter. A computer screen has been embedded directly into the desk for the convenience of clients without specific augments, but there’s no other sign of a computer.

Instead, he looks directly ahead, staring at something his eye augments show him. His eyes have a distinct violet hue that stands in stark contrast to his pale skin, and he has short black hair, cut trendy.

Yesterday, he was the head of the marketing division.

Today, he’s the president.

His eyes dart across an invisible screen, and he occasionally gestures to the air, selecting options we can’t see. Finally he glances over at us and the door, realizes we’re both still standing there, and waves to the chairs. Come in, come in. Please... sorry... I’m trying to navigate the mess Koenigin left behind.

I flinch. It’s not just Koenigin’s mess. It’s mine. The recordings of the laboratories on the fifth floor of the basement are now public, including the impression rooms and the changeling creation rooms. Since Mr. Saito always deals with cleaning up the corporation’s messes, it’s up to him to help us save face.

If he succeeds, the other board members may elect to keep him as president. If he fails, then I don’t know what will happen. The company will crumble. My home—

Maria needs to know what happened, I blurt into the silence. I need a distraction. I need to think of anything else. I can’t think about what’s going to happen if Mr. Saito fails us the way my dear president did.

Mr. Saito glances between the both of us, concerned, and takes a deep breath. Maria merely raises her chin. I’m thankful I’m sitting to her right. I can’t see her scar.

I can’t see my mistake.

Seeing as how I awoke in a cryogenic chamber, Maria says, her voice even, I could very easily press charges of kidnapping.

My shoulders tighten. I’m the one who kidnapped her. I’m the one who brought her here after I accidently put her in a coma.

Why doesn’t she hate me?

However, Maria continues, trusted sources say I should hear you out. That I should give you a second chance. She leans forward, concerned. I’m all for second chances, but I need to know the truth. What happened? Why was I in a coma? What happened to President Koenigin? How come you’re now the president, not one of the other board members?

Mr. Saito nervously tents his long fingers over the desk before laying them flat. Please bear with me, Miss Snow. At the moment, I’m not at liberty to tell you everything that happened. She opens her mouth to protest, but a slight movement of his hand placates her. However, I can tell you this much. Our company’s former president was... deranged, to put it frankly. I wince. My dear president certainly didn’t do herself any favors in her last hours. "She wanted to remake you into one of her huntresses, and she intended to have Verdi bring you in. According to my sources, and I suspect they’ll corroborate with yours, Verdi intended to bridge the gap. It was a mistake that you ended up in a coma."

Maria turns to me, the functional half of her lips twisted into a disapproving frown, the other side unexpressive. Why did you even have that poison, if you didn’t mean to attack me?

I shrink under her gaze. I didn’t know... My breath catches in my throat. I didn’t know how to tell my president ‘no.’ But I never meant to use it.

A lot of us didn’t know how to say ‘no,’ Mr. Saito agrees firmly. Maria turns her scowl on him. Such is the nature of working at Koenigin Corp. Some of us protested the dealings going on here, especially in the basement. But we couldn’t outright refuse her for fear she would turn her technology on us. She held the reins. Now that she’s gone, I can turn us around. I’ll have a full evaluation of the lab. I’ll see to it that everything that happens here is humane—

"Will you submit to a full external investigation?" Maria interrupts.

Mr. Saito freezes. There’s something unreadable in his eyes, something I’ve seen numerous times from him whenever he disagreed with something our dear president said. But he lowers his head. I cannot consent to that, since I am only acting president.

Assuming you become the president, what then?

His jaw tightens. Then I’ll consider it.

The public deserves to know the truth, Mr. Saito, Maria Snow says sharply. That’s the only way you’re going to gain their trust.

Before I reveal anything, I need to know all the details, Mr. Saito retorts. Do you want me to risk falsely implicating an innocent being?

An external investigation does not rely on what a single person knows. That’s the point. They’re impartial.

My job is to make this company look good. He raises his chin, haughty. While I realize plenty has been marred during Koenigin’s time here, I also know that we will turn this around. We can make it better for everyone. For us... and for the SNP. But if I don’t have time to evaluate what has happened, if I’m forced to speak my mind without thinking, I’ll never be able to make a diamond from the ashes. Do you understand?

Maria narrows her good eye; I don’t think she agrees. What happened to President Koenigin, Mr. Saito?

I’m still looking into that.

Her fingers curl into small fists. I want Verdi to be the ambassador for Koenigin Corp. I want her to report to me.

Good. Something we can agree on, Mr. Saito says. I’ve already talked to her about it. His expression softens as he turns to me. I assume this arrangement is still suitable?

I nod quickly. Of course it is. It’s everything I’ve wanted. To have a voice... to be near Maria...

She requested for me to be her ambassador.

A warmth fills my chest. Maybe we do want the same thing.

Mr. Saito rubs his forehead, brushing back strands of black hair. Now, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long night for me. I’d like to get some sleep before the rest of the board members wake to the new order. His gaze settles on Maria. Please excuse us. I need to talk to Verdi for a few minutes—privately. If you would like, I can arrange transportation for you to return home.

Maria shakes her head and stands. I can take care of myself. Is Blanc still here?

She’s in the lobby.

That will suffice. Thank you. She glances at me. I’d like to meet with you again later today.

My heart skips a beat. Sure... Yes! I straighten in my chair and smile. I would be honored. Where should we meet?

A hint of a smile curves on the side of her lip. I’ll have Ebs send you the coordinates.

She takes her leave, and the door automatically shuts behind her.

Mr. Saito sinks his head into his hands, massaging his temples in exasperation. This is a mess.

I’m not sure how he wants me to respond, so I end up nodding. Yes, sir. But why didn’t you tell Maria what really happened?

He peeks at me from under his thin eyebrows. Her enhanced friends more or less killed our former president, who is now stuck in the form of a despicable changeling miner. That’s going to be a long conversation when it comes. And right now, I have less than an hour before the rest of the board finds out that power has changed hands, and that they’re under watch by the company’s NEL.

I twist my lips. Do you think they’ll protest your position?

He scoffs. "I know they’ll protest. Every one of them hoped they might become president if Koenigin retired or somehow fell from grace. Of course, Dr. Johnson is now under house arrest. Her role in attempting to kill Maria Snow means we need to keep a closer eye on her than the others. But she cooperated with bringing Miss Snow back. So, for now, I expect she’ll behave. As for the others, we’ll see. Like I told Miss Snow, we were all acting in accordance to what kept us in good standing, alive, and sapient. That’s the only thing that’s going to acquit us if word gets out about the details of Koenigin’s ‘retirement.’ That includes you, Verdi. His voice sobers. Please understand... I’m going to do everything I can to keep this company up and running without the nefarious bits. Until then, don’t tell anyone what happened. Not even Miss Snow."

But—

Faint lines of skin crinkle around his eyes. "You were President Koenigin’s primary huntress. You assaulted Maria Snow with vitriolage and later kidnapped her. You passed along information to the enhanced creatures who did an illegal impression and insertion of a mind into a changeling before destroying the original body. Regardless of your intentions, you will not be seen kindly in the eyes of the law. As such, I need time to evaluate the situation and work out a response. If—when—this gets out, I need to be able to paint us as favorably as possible. If not..." His voice trails off, and a cold shudder runs up my spine. It’s as if I’m in one of those cryogenic chambers, my fingers stuck against the glass.

I need you to win Miss Snow’s favor, he continues. But you can’t tell her what really happened. Do I have your word?

I swallow hard. I’ve hurt her so much already. I don’t want to lie to her.

Don’t lie. Just omit the truth. Give me time. A smile wavers on his face. Please.

I nod slowly. Yes, sir.

Mr. Saito breathes a sigh of relief. Thank you. Get some rest. You’ll want to be ready for Miss Snow’s meeting this afternoon.

My heart skips a beat.

I’m going to be meeting with Maria Snow and, for the first time, it won’t be because I’m trying to convince her and my president to work together.

But what if she asks me what really happened last night?

What do I tell her then?

CHAPTER 2

The door to my room is still slightly ajar from last night’s skirmish.

My breath catches in my throat. In all the commotion and worry, I’d forgotten about the fight in my room. My chest tightens. Perhaps I should request a different place to sleep. Though I’ve gotten a couple hours, they were all in uncomfortable chairs. And sleeping in a poison-induced coma before that wasn’t truly restful.

Hesitantly, I push the door open.

My room is a mess. Blood stains the wall and tufts of fur stick out from the carpet. A squeak catches in my throat at the sight of a clump of feathers centered on the floor. Thankfully, someone has already removed the dead falcon. But she didn’t have to die. If Koenigin hadn’t messed with her sapience chip, she would still be alive...

Both my dear president, and the falcon.

I cross the room to my dresser, shift it back into place, and remove a pair of gloves. They’re standard for my job—my former job—and after slipping them on I pick up the remaining feathers and fur as best as I can. Once the mess is in the garbage chute, I grab a towel from the bathroom to clean the blood—

There’s still a pile of wet clothes by the shower. Heat rises to my cheeks. At least I had the Assist bot change Maria. I didn’t want her to catch a cold, so I’d given her one of my dresses. It was too big for her, but it was dry. I scurry from the bathroom and set to work cleaning the mess.

It’s mind numbing, and I don’t have to think too hard...

Except that, because it is a mindless task, my thoughts keep lodging onto the events of yesterday, the need to help Maria, and her kiss.

Does she actually love me?

I scrub the wall harder, but the stain refuses to come out. I’ll need to talk to the janitorial staff. But I don’t want to talk to anyone. I don’t want to know what’s happening downstairs now that the other board members are surely awake. I don’t want to know how Mr. Saito is handling the public, or if a new fight is going to break out when everyone vies for power.

I sink onto the floor, exhaustion settling hard on my shoulders. I want to go to bed and not wake up until Maria comes and kisses me.

Would she have kissed me if I had been the one in the cryogenic chamber?

Would she have rescued me?

Hot tears gather on my eyelashes and I close my eyes. Once I open them again, I realize I fell asleep on the floor. A small form pokes out from underneath my bed.

A nesting doll.

My favorite gift that my dear president gave me. It fell to the floor during the fight. I slip off my gloves, and then reach out and pull it to me, turning the brightly colored doll between my hands. I wish President Koenigin was still here. Not the president who hurt me in the end. The one who wanted to hurt Maria.

I want the president who gave me this gift because she cared for me.

I close my eyes